Creating Inclusive Play Spaces – 2023 Grants In Action
July 23, 2024
From Vacant Building to Vibrant Community Library – 2023 Grants In Action
July 23, 2024
Together, with the support of our donors, the DeKalb County Community Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in DeKalb County. Grants from the Community Foundation come from a variety of grant programs. Each program is unique in how to apply, who it supports, and the impact it creates. So how do these grants impact the community in which we live? Learn more in this grant in action story below. Thank you to the generous donors whose gifts make grants like these possible!
The slogan for The Wurlitzer Company at one time was “The Name That Means Music to Millions.” The company began in the United States in 1856 and was primarily known for its production of premier pianos and organs—both pipe and electric. From the 1930s through the 1980s, the company owned retail music stores in most major cities. One of its primary manufacturing locations was DeKalb, Illinois.
We celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Farny R. Wurlitzer Fund at the Community Foundation in 2023. This Field of Interest Fund began on December 23, 1993, while the Community Foundation was still in its infancy. This initial Fund led to increased philanthropy from the Wurlitzer Foundation when they began exploring ways to maintain their existence in perpetuity.
Near the end of 2012, the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation converted its operations to become the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund within the Community Foundation. Total grantmaking since 1993 from these two Field of Interest Funds total more than $2.7 million.
THE FARNY R. WURLITZER FUNDS
The Farny R. Wurlitzer Fund provides financial assistance to further music education, appreciation, and performance. The Community Foundation’s Community Needs Grant program distributes grants from this Fund.- The Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund supports music education through grantmaking to nonprofit and public sector organizations throughout the greater Chicagoland area, prioritizing DeKalb County projects. Grants from this Fund are reviewed and recommended by the Fund’s Board of Advisors during two annual grant application cycles.
“The Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra (KSO) is one local organization that benefits from Wurlitzer grants. The KSO is a nonprofit orchestra that engages, educates, and enriches the community through music. Grants have supported various music education programs and projects for youth in DeKalb County.”
